Château La Gaffelière 2020 (Magnum)

Wineadvocate

A worthy follow up to the excellent 2019, the 2020 La Gaffelière bursts with aromas of plums, sweet berries, licorice, mint and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and concentrated, with lively acids and vibrant fruit flavors, it's built around powdery, fine-grained tannins. Cabernet Franc represents fully 40% of the blend. As I wrote last year, this estate, in many respects Saint-Émilion's sleeping giant, is awakening. - WK 04/2023

Vinous

The 2020 La Gaffelière is superb. Rich, dense and explosive. Black cherry, gravel, licorice, grilled herbs and menthol race out of the glass. Deep, pliant and explosive, the 2020 is magnificent. At this stage, the 2020 is an infant, but that won't be a problem in a few years. This vivid, statuesque Saint-Émilion is nothing short of thrilling. (Drink between 2030-2060) - AG 02/2023

Beck

Que d'énergie et de détails dans Gaffelière 2020 ! Le vin se distingue par sa vigueur, mais également sa finesse et son aptitude à complètement positiver les contraintes du millésime. De caractère juteux, il est doté d'une structure acide vive et incisive, tandis que ses tannins, parfaitement intégrés, offrent de la puissance. Ce Gaffelière me semble très abouti, performant et apte à traverser les décennies à venir. Le virage amorcé en 2017 avait été décisif, le niveau de La Gaffelière a surpassé la gloire d'antan en mettant en évidence son appartenance à l'élite de Saint-Emilion. Je dis ça, je dis rien ! Une très belle réussite à suivre dans son évolution. 2026-2055 - YB 01/2023

Suckling

Deep and intense notes of plums and blackberries with dark chocolate, toasted spices, walnut, crushed graphite and wet stones. Full-bodied with layers of ripe, velvety tannins that flow in a firm stream throughout the palate. Very structured. Delicious chocolate-wrapped black and blue fruit with spiced character and a really long finish. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. Drink from 2028. - 12/2022

Dunnuck

The 2020 Château La Gaffelière checks in as a 60/40 split of Merlot and Cabernet Franc that saw 50% new barrels. This medium to full-bodied, pure, elegant, seamless Saint-Emilion has lots of cassis and darker raspberry-like fruits, good mid-palate depth, ripe tannins, and solid complexity in its notes of graphite, sandalwood, and Asian spices. It doesn't bring the depth and richness of the top wines in the vintage, but it certainly shines for its complexity and balance. - 03/2023